The Journey To Each Other
by olicityplease
Summary: It has been 7 months since Oliver told Felicity he loves her. Nothing has changed. Nothing has been talked about between the two. Felicity thinks he only said it to get her close to Slade. In doing so, she's more positive than ever he doesn't love her. But will that change when someone from their past shows up and tries to harm Felicity? Enjoy! Twitter: @olicityplease
1. Chapter 1

It had been seven months of bliss. Crime was down in Starling City and all of the destruction caused by Slade and his army had been cleaned up. Most people would say it seemed as though that night had never happened, but in Felicity's mind, that night changed everything.

"Slade took Laurel because he wants to kill the woman I love."

"I know. So?"

"So, he took the wrong woman."

"Oh."

"I love you."

It still amazed Felicity how much her heart had raced in that small amount of time, thinking Oliver really loved her. She was shocked, happy, excited, fearful and hopeful all at once. Unfortunately, that ended when Oliver handed her the syringe and said "Do you understand?"

Oh, she understood alright. She understood he said those things only to get her closer to Slade so she could stab him with the cure. Why she had to do it, she never knew. But he trusted her with the task, and she knew she couldn't let him down.

So she did it. She went into the belly of the beast, so to speak, and did what Oliver trusted her enough to do. She knew it had to be done, and it had been. Slade had been cured and was finally out of their lives. Only problem now was that she constantly had that conversation on repeat in her mind. She fell asleep to the memory, and woke up to her heart beating out of her chest because of the beautiful, perfect dreams she had every night since then because of it.

Unfortunately for Felicity, the reality was that neither she, nor Oliver, ever mentioned it again after they got off that island, where they put Slade in purgatory. For the past seven months, everything continued on like it always did with Team Arrow (hey, she liked the sound of it). Felicity, Oliver and Diggle kept the small amount of crime they did have under control and everything had been great. Until, of course, it wasn't.

It had been a quiet Friday night in the new foundry. Felicity was running scans on her computers while Oliver and Diggle were sparring with each other just a few feet away. She never tired of seeing either of them shirtless (even new dad Diggle had a lot going on), but she had to admit Oliver held most of her attention.

When her computers started notifying her of a threat in the Glades (just another break-in, something they'd seen a lot of lately), she immediately told Oliver and Diggle about what was happening and they headed out to stop the intruders.

While Felicity continued informing them of where the intruders were via their headsets, she heard a noise behind her. They hadn't heard from Roy in a few days, so she figured it had to be Roy checking in. When she turned around to tell Roy what was going on, she was shocked to see the silhouette of a man much larger than Roy. Well, she thought to herself, this can't be good.

As she reached for her headset to tell Oliver there was someone in the foundry, the man moved quickly and had her pinned against the wall, facing away from him. Her heart was racing and her mind kept playing the different ways this could play out. How did someone know about the foundry? Why were they here? What did they want? Then, with a stunning realization, she realized this stranger might kill her.

She never got to tell Oliver she loved him. She never got to see Digg and Lyla's baby girl. Was this it for her? Was she going to die alone, in a foundry, no less, by someone she didn't even know?

As she tried screaming, the man covered her mouth with his hand and roughly pulled her away from the wall, only to shove her into it even harder. She tried kicking, biting and scratching anything she could, but it was no use. Her attacker never even flinched at her attempts to hurt him. She heard metal scraping metal and knew she was about to be at the receiving end of a very painful blow to the head.

The last thought she had before the darkness took her was about Oliver, wondering if he knew how much she wished she had just said "I love you too," all those months ago in the mansion.

Felicity woke up to an annoying beeping sound, and immediately went to reach for her alarm clock. What she didn't expect was her head to pound like she had been hit by a truck. When she went to reach up to hold her head, she realized she couldn't. She had something heavy situated on her right arm, and it wouldn't budge.

When she finally opened her eyes and allowed her sight to adjust to the light, she realized Oliver was the something heavy and she couldn't help but gasp. He looked terrible. He looked as though he had gone at least 3 days without shaving, and just as long without sleeping. But, of course, when she wakes up, that's when he decides to be asleep. Typical.

She tries pushing him awake with her left hand, and that is when she finally takes in her surroundings. She's in the hospital?! How did she end up here? She realizes the annoying beeping sound that awoke her was a heart monitor. Her heart monitor. Well, no wonder it's going crazy. Oliver is here! At least he isn't awake to hear how he makes her heart react when he's around.

As she looked around her hospital room, she saw at least a dozen bouquets of flowers and balloons. Which is odd, considering she didn't have time to have a personal life because of her Team Arrow duties. As she took in Oliver's sleeping form again, she thought to herself that she could do this for the rest of her life. Not the 'waking-up-in-a-hospital-with-no-memory-of-how-she-got-there' this, but the 'waking-up-with-Oliver-not-even-a-foot-away' this.

As much as that struck Felicity as something she shouldn't be thinking, given the fact that he was technically her boss, she couldn't help it. She loved this man and couldn't lie to herself about it anymore. No matter who came along, she knew her feelings for Oliver were real and deep. She could love him forever, if given the chance. But with that realization, also came the realization that it would never happen. He would never love her back, not while he was the Arrow, or while Laurel or Sara was around.

Felicity was simply his partner. The IT girl at his company. Nothing more. The sooner she accepted that, the easier it would be for her.

As she saw Oliver start to wake up, she noticed he looked miserable. Obviously he had to be worried about her, but it's not like she died. She couldn't have been out for that long….

"Oliver?" Felicity whispered, not wanting to startle him.

"Felicity?! You're okay! I can't believe it. You're awake. How are you feeling? What hurts? I need to call the nurses so they can come look at you. Nurse! Nurse! She's awake!" Oliver says all of this without even giving Felicity a second to reply, so she knows something bad must have happened.

As the nurses come in to check Felicity's vitals, Oliver never let's go of her hand that she hadn't even realized he'd been holding. After what seems like hours, the nurses finally leave Felicity with promises of coming back later with her doctor.

Silence immediately settles in between Oliver and Felicity. Felicity is full of questions and she doesn't know where to begin. Oliver is just staring at her like he can't believe she's alive, so that strikes even more questions to form. What happened? Why is she here? How long has she been asleep?

With her first question ready, Felicity opens her mouth to ask Oliver what happened at the same time he starts talking.

"What happened?" Felicity asks, at the same time Oliver asks, "What do you remember?"

With a sigh, Felicity tries to dig into her memories. The last thing she remembers is thinking she was going to die, so that's not good. But, it also probably explains why she is in the hospital. Other than that, everything seems fuzzy. She remembers feeling something hard hitting her in the head, but that's it.

"Uh, I'm not sure. I remember being in the foundry, talking to you and Diggle, then someone came and attacked me. They held me against the wall, and when I struggled, they hit me in the head with something. That's all I remember." Felicity finally replies, waiting for Oliver's reaction.

When Oliver looks into her eyes, Felicity sees so many different emotions. She sees pain and misery, but also relief. At her being alive, maybe?

"Someone attacked you, Felicity. You were talking to me and Digg while we went to the Glades, then all of a sudden, all we heard was static. We immediately rushed back to the foundry, and found you on the floor, unconscious." With a deep breath, Oliver lowered his gaze and it seems as though he's got something weighing on his own conscious. Felicity immediately realizes he blames himself for what happened to her, and she isn't about to let that happen.

"No, Oliver. You do not get to blame yourself for what happened to me." She says it as though she isn't in the hospital, like she isn't weak and exhausted. She musters up all of her strength to finish. "I can tell by that look on your face that you blame what happened to me on yourself, but it's not your fault! You can't be in 2 places at once, Oliver. I'm the one who told both of you to go to the Glades because of the break-in. I'm the one who wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. My life, my choice. So stop it. Now, tell me what you know."

Oliver dives into the facts, as he often does when he disagrees with her. He tells her that they were able to find out that whoever broke into the foundry did so with the passcode, so that's probably why Felicity never expected anything bad. He also tells her that she's been unconscious for four days, and they weren't sure if she was ever going to wake up due to the blunt hit to the head. When he's done telling her everything she wants to know, he looks her in the eye and says "I don't know why someone attacked you, but you can bet I will find them, and I will make them pay."

With that, he stands, hesitates, and kisses her on the forehead with a promise to be back after he cleans himself up.

As she watches him walk away, Felicity knows one thing is for certain: Things are definitely changing.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been two months since Felicity was attacked. Two months and they had heard nothing from her attacker, or gotten any lead as to who it was. Oliver was going crazy.

When he got to the foundry that night two months ago and saw Felicity's body on the floor, his breath caught in his throat. Was she dead?

It seemed as though time stopped and he couldn't move. He saw Diggle run to her and as Diggle check her pulse, he felt his heart stop. Was his world about to be turned upside down? Was the one person who truly understood him in every possible way gone? Just like that?

When Digg turned to him and nodded his head, indicating she was alive, Oliver let out a breath he didn't even realize he had been holding. She was alive. Nothing would ever been the same for him after that night.

As Oliver paced in his office at Queen Consolidated, he couldn't help but keep his gaze on Felicity just outside of his office. He watched as she focused on the computer on her desk and he let his mind wander.

She had recovered from her attack quickly, but he knew it still troubled her. He could see it in the way she walked, always checking her surroundings just like him and Diggle. He felt so guilty that he couldn't find her attacker and put the fear of God in him. Before turning him over to Detective Lance, alive, of course.

When Felicity gave her statement about what happened, he was right there with her. He couldn't let her out of his sight for the first month after it happened. He was constantly shadowing her every move, whether she knew it or not. When she left the foundry late at night, he was right there. At night, while she slept, he and Diggle took turns watching over her from her fire escape. What else could they do?

In that time, nothing ever happened. But he felt in his gut that the moment they let their guard down, something bad would happen to her. So, while they stopped following her during the day, at night nothing had changed.

Oliver realized he was still staring at her when she looked up from her computer and smiled at him. If only she knew how that smile took his breath away.

Even though they were at work, he couldn't help but be taken by her beauty. She had her hair in a ponytail today, and she had to know it drove him nuts. The way her neck was exposed, he could imagine holding her head and bending down to kiss the spot just above the collar on her shirt.

Oliver hadn't even realized she had moved from her spot at her desk, so when she spoke, he couldn't hide the startled expression on his face.

"Oliver, are you ready for the meeting?" Felicity asked, leaning her head into his office.

When she saw the look on his face, she raised her eyebrow, silently asking if he was okay.

After taking a deep breath, he replied, "Yes, Felicity. Thank you."

With a smile and a nod of the head, they went to the meeting. If anyone had asked Oliver what the meeting was about, he wouldn't be able to answer because his eyes never left his beautiful assistant sitting next to him.

Later that night, as Oliver arrived at the foundry, he saw Felicity at her computers and automatically went to her before his brain had processed what he was doing. As he approached, he could see she was concentrating, so she probably hadn't heard him come in.

"Felicity?" He whispered, trying not to scare her.

"Ohmygosh Oliver! You scared the crap out of me! Do you have to do everything so quietly?!"Felicity yelled, jumping out of her chair.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. What are you working on?" Oliver couldn't help but lean over her as she sat back down, returning her attention to her computers. He could only have so much restraint.

"I'm going over all of the cameras around the city again, trying to see if we can catch the guy who attacked me. I know I've done this a million times, but-"

"Felicity. It's okay. I know you want to catch him, and we do just as bad as you. But we can't just make evidence appear when we want it to. We will find him, and when we do, I'll let you interrogate him before we turn him over to Lance." Oliver couldn't help but wink at her as he thought of the story Diggle had told him. His Bitch with WiFi. He couldn't wait to see that.

"I know. I just want him off the streets. It makes me nervous not knowing where he is, and I just want answers…." Felicity trailed off, obviously reliving the night she was attacked.

Oliver reached for her hand and held it in his, noticing how perfectly they fit together. He used his other hand to lift her chin and bring her eyes to his. As he looked at her, he saw all the pain and fear she felt. He had to let her know this would be okay if it was the last thing he did.

"We will catch this guy, and he will wish he never laid a hand on you, I can promise you that." He gave her hand a final squeeze and put some distance between them before he let his emotions get the best of him. He wanted to kiss her. God he wanted to kiss her, but he knew this wasn't the time.

"So, where's Diggle?" Oliver asked her, going to put on his Arrow suit.

"Lyla wasn't feeling well, so he had to go check on her. He told me to tell you he will meet you later when it was his turn, whatever that means." Felicity told him, questioning him at the same time.

"Oh, okay. Well, I better get out there." Oliver replied, completely avoiding her questioning glance. He couldn't tell her about how they look over her while she slept. She would never allow it if she knew, so keeping it from her, as hard as it was, was necessary.

As Oliver went out that night to search for the man that caused his girl to have nightmares, he never saw the silhouette of a man hiding in the corner of the foundry.


	3. Chapter 3

After Oliver left, Felicity was finally left alone to her thoughts. Ever since the night she got attacked, she felt like Oliver and Diggle were smothering her. Anytime she went somewhere, they had to come with her. She told herself she'd draw the line if they insisted on coming to the bathroom with her, but thankfully that hadn't come up… yet. No way was she going to let that happen.

She did like that she was getting Oliver's undivided attention, but she knew it was in a brotherly way. Over the last two months, she'd come to accept who she was to Oliver. While Oliver will always be deeply rooted in her heart, she knew he only cared for her in a platonic sense. The realization obviously broke her heart, and as soon as she could, she would dive into a pint of mint chip. But she knew eventually she would move on. She just hadn't really gotten around to trying yet. All of her attention was focused on finding her attacker.

When she was at QC, any free-time she got, including her breaks, was spent trying to find the man who ripped her sense of security from her. At the foundry, she'd send Oliver out and then focus on the task of finding him. Even at night, alone at her apartment, she found herself analyzing all of the things that they had found, which wasn't a lot, in case they missed something.

If she did find sleep, it was plagued with nightmares of her attacker finding her again. She'd wake up multiple times a night drenched in sweat from the terrors in her dreams.

The hardest part out of everything had to be the not knowing. She obsessed about everything she didn't know. Who attacked her? Why did they attack her? How did they get into the foundry? She didn't feel safe anywhere anymore, and she hated that feeling.

Oliver had been gone about an hour, and she was feeling restless. They were communicating via their headsets, but she felt like something was off and she couldn't put her finger on what. Once Oliver told her he was headed back, she finally got up from her chair because she had been needing to use the restroom since before he left.

When she got back, she noticed something was off. She could've sworn she pushed her chair in, but now it was about 2 feet away from her desk. She shook her head, thinking she was being paranoid, and went back to her chair. That's when she noticed a different screen had been pulled up on her computers. Before, she had a map of the city to tell Oliver where he needed to go. Now, the police reports from the night she was attacked were pulled up. She was officially freaked out.

She heard Oliver come down the stairs, and immediately ran to him. Her heart was pounding and she couldn't stop herself from shaking. She heard him ask what was going on, but all she could do was cry and hold onto him. What was happening to her?

Oliver placed his bow on the table, and walked her over to the couch on the other side of the foundry. He sat both of them down and tucked her into his side as she cried.

Why she was crying, she wasn't sure. For herself? For Oliver? Was she crying because she was scared? Was she crying because she finally realized this man wouldn't ever stop?

After what seemed like hours, her tears finally subsided and she lifted her face to see Oliver's worried expression.

"What happened, Felicity?" Oliver asked her while gently rubbing small circles into her back, trying to help her calm down.

Felicity took a deep breath and looked him in his eyes. There were so many different emotions there, and one she couldn't quite place. She hoped it wasn't pity.

"I went to the bathroom, and when I came back something was pulled up on my computers that I didn't put up there. He was here, Oliver. I know he was."

Oliver's expression quickly changed from worry to anger. He rose in front of her and started pacing. He was mumbling to himself and she couldn't quite make out what he was saying. Wait… did she just hear "strangle"?

"Oliver, please stop! I need you to calm down so we can figure out what we're going to do about this." Felicity pleaded with him, letting her head fall into her hands.

Felicity felt the shift in his mood once she finished talking. He heard his feet against the floor as he crouched in front of her and took her hands away from her face.

When she looked up, he wiped her hair from her face and let his hand linger for just a beat longer than necessary. When he pulled back, he pulled her on her feet and tugged her gently so they were hugging.

His scent overwhelmed her. He smelled like his cologne, mixed with something light and fresh. It was perfect.

They stood there, wrapped in each other, for what seemed like hours and minutes all at the same time. It was so powerful, yet it still wasn't enough. She wanted more with this man, but she knew she could never have him.

As they pulled away, he spoke, softly. "Felicity, I know you've been through a lot and I understand you're on edge. But just because your computer was on a different screen doesn't mean someone broke in here. It could've been your computer notifying you or something."

"No, Oliver. I know that software! I made it! There's no reason for that to be on display. I know it's not a lot, but I also know in my gut that someone messed with it. My chair was moved too!" Felicity was breathless. She couldn't believe he was questioning her.

Through the tears that were forming in her eyes, she could see that Oliver looked torn. Why?

"I understand you believe that, Felicity. You know I trust you more than anyone, but you're worked up over something that might have happened, or might not have happened. Maybe you just need some rest…" He trailed off, unable to look her in the eye.

Oh, if he had, he probably would've jumped at the glare she was throwing his way. How dare he not believe her! She wasn't crazy. She knows someone was in here, and she would prove it to him. Somehow.

"I can't believe you would doubt me just because I've been a little freaked out lately! All the things you've told me, I've always believed you and had faith in you! You have no reason to doubt me, Oliver. I can't even look at you right now."

Felicity was furious. She pulled her coat on and grabbed her purse. As she was walking past him, Oliver grabbed her arm and spun her around so fast she thought she might fall. If Oliver hadn't had a death grip on her arm, she probably would have!

"Fe-li-ci-ty. You know I believe in you. I just don't know what to make of this. It could've been so many things. Why would your attacker leave you alone this time? It makes no sense! He wouldn't risk coming here just to pull up something we already know about." Oliver was out of breath when he finished, and she knew he believed what he was saying, but he should believe in her more.

Felicity yanked her arm out of his grasp and stepped around him to get out of the foundry. "Oliver, if you think I'm crazy, fine. But I will not allow you to sit here and doubt me. I'm going home, and I would appreciate it if you'd leave me alone for a little while."

Felicity yanked the door open and slammed it shut, not caring how loud it was. The man she was in love with didn't even believe her. She was seething as she got in her car and drove home. She was going to prove she wasn't crazy. Oliver be damned.


	4. Chapter 4

After Felicity left, Oliver felt drained from their argument. How had things changed so quickly? One minute, he was holding her in his arms as she cried. The next minute, she was yelling at him and leaving. How did this happen?

He knew it was his fault the moment the question formed in his head. He never should have doubted her. She was right, and as painful as it was, she had every right to react the way she did. Why did he choose that time to doubt her? When she told him what had happened, at first he was furious. How dare her attacker show up here when Felicity was by herself! Obviously this man knew of Oliver's skills, because he didn't have the guys to show up when Oliver was there.

Then, as he was holding her, all he wanted to do was let her know everything would be alright. But, boy, had he chosen the wrong way to do that. Saying she might've been too paranoid was obviously not a good idea. Once he put his foot in his mouth, though, he couldn't figure out a way to get it out. So, logically, he shoved it all the way down his throat and into his stomach. Way to go, Oliver.

He just felt so helpless when it came to the entire situation! He couldn't stop her attacker the first time, and now he couldn't even let Felicity know he believed in her. Why did he always find a way to hurt this woman? Why couldn't he just be the person she deserved?

"This is not the time for pity, Oliver. Get your head together!" Oliver muttered to himself, feeling like a crazy person.

He knew what he had to do.

While he drove, he called Diggle and told him he would watch over Felicity tonight so Diggle could have some time with a very pregnant Lyla. Diggle seemed suspicious, but didn't press.

After stopping at a café by Felicity's apartment, he climbed off of his bike took a deep breath. This had to be done.

When he got to Felicity's door, he shifted the food and wine he bought and raised his hand to knock on her door. After three light taps, he heard her footsteps in the apartment and immediately started to panic. What if this wasn't a good idea? What if she's busy? What if-

Oliver's thoughts were cut off when Felicity swung the door open, wearing a large t-shirt and one-size-too-big pajama bottoms. He thought she never looked more beautiful.

Felicity narrowed her eyes at him, obviously still mad, and said to him in a clipped tone, "What?"

Oliver couldn't help but be startled at how mad she sounded. Even when she told him to get his head out of his ass last year, she wasn't this mad. The thought made Oliver gulp.

"I brought wine." Oliver replied, letting the first words he could squeeze together fall out of his mouth. He held up the best bottle of wine the café had, and watched as Felicity's wall started falling. She was always weak when it came to wine.

Felicity looked back and forth from him to the wine for a full minute before she opened the door further, indicating he could come in.

When Oliver stepped inside and closed (and locked) the door behind him, he finally got to see Felicity's apartment from the inside. While he had spent many nights on the fire escape, being on the inside felt so much more… intimate.

He saw Felicity grab some wine glasses, so he took that as his cue to open the wine. When he poured the glasses, he could feel Felicity's gaze on him. What could possibly be going through that brain of hers?

"So…" Felicity said, trying to break the tension that was between them.

"Felicity, I'm sorry." Oliver had to say those words before anything else could be said. He had to let her know he knew that he was in the wrong earlier, and that he never should've doubted her.

Felicity paused halfway to her mouth with her wine glass and looked at him. It seemed like she was trying to dig in her brain for a way to respond.

"Gee, what could you possibly be apologizing for, Oliver? Are you apologizing for calling me crazy? Or for not believing me? Or for not having faith in me? Huh? Which is it?"

Oliver's mouth fell open at her bluntness, but he knew that's who she was. She didn't beat around the bush when it came to how she was feeling, and he was forever grateful for that. Except, of course, in that moment.

Oliver took a deep breath and set his wine glass down before grabbing her glass from her hand and setting it down as well. As he reached for her hand, he realized she could easily pull back and not let him take it. After reconsidering it, he placed his hand between them on the couch and rose his eyes to look at her.

That was when he saw she was on the verge of tears. He could get a bruised ego, but he didn't care. He immediately closed the distance between them and tucker her into his side. For the second time that night, he realized she fit there perfectly. With a deep breath, he started talking.

"Felicity, I need you to know that I trust you with everything I have. When you told me he was there, I wanted to break something. Anything. But I knew that wouldn't solve anything. Then, when I saw you breaking, I couldn't help but feel like it was my fault. How could I let that guy get anywhere near you, for the second time no less, without knowing anything?!" He paused to take a deep breath and run a hand through his hair. This was harder than he thought it would be. "I can't lose you, Felicity. I've come so close to losing you so many times, but this time feels different. The not knowing is killing me, and I know it must be taking its toll on you too. We will find him, and when we do, I want you to know that I believe with all of my being that it will be because of you. It won't be because of me or Diggle or the cops. It will be you, because you are amazing and smart. Never let anyone, not even me, make you think otherwise. Okay?"

Felicity had stopped crying and was staring at him. She had a pool of emotions in her eyes, and all he wanted to do was go swimming in them. She looked like she was still processing what he had said, so when he went to let go of her, she squeezed him tighter and pulled him into a hug.

Oliver knew they still had a lot to talk about, but, for now, this was all that needed to be said.

She forgave him.


	5. Chapter 5

When Felicity woke up the next day, she wasn't sure if the previous night had even happened.

Did Oliver really show up at her house with food and wine, or was that a dream? Felicity had hoped it was real, but it wouldn't be the first time she had dreamed about Oliver, only to wake up to the reality that none of it was real.

Felicity dragged herself out of bed and to the bathroom. She needed a shower. She looked at herself in the mirror, and that was when she saw it. She was _glowing_.

"Well, I guess that answers that question…" she mumbled to herself, knowing the night before hadn't been a dream. Her brain may be a bit fuzzy, but she hasn't ever seen that glow in her eyes. Only one person could cause that, and that was Oliver Queen.

Felicity got to Queen Consolidated two hours later with a small headache. All morning, she had been replaying last night over and over in her head. After they ate dinner and finished the bottle of wine Oliver had brought, he left with a promise to see her at the office the following morning.

Now that it was time to see him, she wasn't sure she was ready. Will he mention last night, or will it be business as usual?

As she approached her desk, she saw a bouquet of fresh flowers and her heart stopped. She never received flowers, so who could they be from?

After depositing her coat and purse, she reached for the card that sat in the flowers and read what it said:

_Felicity,_

_Thank you so much for being there for me and Diggle through this pregnancy. Hope to see you soon!_

_With love,_

_Lyla_

Felicity smiled at the sweet note from her friend. She couldn't help but be disappointed that they weren't from Oliver, but she knew that was ridiculous. Why would he send her flowers? She was his partner, not his girlfriend.

"Felicity?" At his voice, Felicity jumped out of her skin and turned around. Oliver was standing with just his head out of his office, looking at her with a questioning glance.

Felicity took a deep breath and grabbed her tablet for the meeting that was to start in ten minutes. It was time to get into Executive Assistant mode.

As she walked by Oliver, she noticed he hadn't moved to go to the conference room. He was still staring at the flowers that sat on her desk.

"So, who are the flowers from?" Oliver asked her, and Felicity noticed his jaw clench.

"What?" Felicity replied, not sure why he looked so… upset?

"The flowers? On your desk…" Oliver said at her, waiting for her reply.

Felicity thought about lying, but she knew Oliver would know if she did, so she told him they were from Lyla. She saw the tension in Oliver's shoulders automatically relax, and she wondered why he seemed so on edge.

"Oliver, are you okay? You seem… tense." Felicity asked him.

"What? Who, me? Yeah, I'm good. No, just, uh… Let's get to the meeting before we're late." Oliver replied, walking away before Felicity could point out they still had 5 minutes until the meeting started.

What was going on with him?

Later that night, Felicity walked into the foundry with Diggle following closely behind her. She had gotten used to either him or Oliver following her around, and honestly, she didn't mind it. They had a way of making her feel a lot safer.

Felicity walked straight to her desk as Diggle went to put his stuff down. She got to work checking the notifications she set up for the Glades in case the Arrow was needed. When nothing came up, she sighed. Not only was everything calm in the Glades, nothing had come up about her attacker.

With a frustrated groan, she leaned back in her chair and screamed when she hit something hard. She jumped out of her chair and turned around, ready to attack, when Oliver caught her arm in midair.

"Oliver! How long have you been there? You scared the crap out of me!" Felicity yelled, trying to slow her erratic heart.

Oliver smirked as he let go of her arm, and replied, "I didn't mean to scare you. I thought you heard me come in."

"No, Oliver. Obviously, I didn't." Felicity replied, frustrated because her heart still hadn't calmed down and she had no new news to tell him. She knew he was just as worried as she was.

Oliver placed his hand on her shoulder (that didn't help her racing heart at all) and smiled at her. She loved that smile. In her head, she considered it his 'Felicity smile'. Yeah, lame. She knows.

Since there was nothing going on that needed the Arrow, they all headed home an hour later, promising to see each other at work tomorrow. Oliver offered to walk Felicity to her car and she accepted, knowing there was no point in declining.

As they reached her car, Oliver grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. He looked worried about something, and Felicity automatically got nervous.

She saw Oliver take a deep breath before looking at her with a nervous expression. "Felicity… I need to ask you something."

"Okay… What is it?" Felicity replied, not knowing what to expect.

Oliver looked at her, took another deep breath, and asked, "I… uh… well… Willyougoonadatewithme?"


	6. Chapter 6

Okay. Deep breath, Oliver. You can do this. Just ask her. The worst that can happen is she can say no.

"Felicity, is it okay if I walk you to your car?" Oliver asked her, feeling kind of jittery.

Felicity looked at him and, after a moment, simply shrugged and headed in the direction of her car.

Well, Oliver thought, that was easy enough. She didn't seem at all perplexed that he would want to walk her to her car, so that was a good sign. Could he do this?

They walked the short distance to her car in silence, but on the inside, Oliver had been waging a war. Should he ask her and get it over with? Should he wait? What if she says no? What if she says yes?!

When Felicity's car came into view, Oliver knew it was now or never. He took a deep breath and reached for Felicity's arm to stop her. When she turned around, she looked so confused he almost wanted to laugh. Almost. Maybe if he wasn't so nervous, he would have.

Oliver took a deep breath and said, "Felicity… I need to ask you something."

Felicity took a moment to respond, but when she finally did, he could see her curiosity burning to the surface.

"Okay… What is it?"

Oliver gazed at her, took a deep breath, and let his internal battle finally come to an end.

""I… uh… well… Willyougoonadatewithme?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he wasn't sure she even understood what he had said. He internally scolded himself for letting his nerves control him. He saw the shift in her eyes as soon as she processed what he had said. She went from looking tired to looking like she got hit by lightning.

"You… Wait… What?!" Felicity looked shocked, to say the least. He couldn't help but think how cute she looked with the blush in her cheeks. He loved having that effect on her.

Oliver grabbed her hand and took a small step towards her so their toes were almost touching. Any closer and he would've been kissing her. Hmm… he liked the idea of that.

He looked her in the eyes, trying not to get lost in them, and said "I was wondering if you'd like to go on a date with me tomorrow night."

The look on her face was very close to the one she had in the mansion that night all those months ago. It was a look of pure shock, but also a look of hope.

He saw her eyes shift downward for just a moment before raising them to meet his as she said, "You mean a date, date? Like an actual date?"

The smile Oliver knew had been plastered on his face got even bigger. He looked her in the eyes, squeezed her hand, and said, "Yes, Felicity. A date. You. Me. No bad guys. No corporate function. Dinner, just the two of us."

Oliver couldn't tell if Felicity was nervous or ecstatic when she answered him, but either way, he was very happy with the answer.

"Uh, sure. I mean, yes. Yes. I'd love to go on a date with you, Oliver." Felicity answered confidently and smiled, letting it reach her eyes. Oliver's heart raced even more at her beauty. There was nothing more attractive than a smiling Felicity. That smile had driven him crazy when she aimed it at Barry last year, because all he wanted was for her to smile at him that way. Now that she had, he knew he would do anything to keep it there.

"Great! Uh… I mean good. I'll pick you up at 7?" Oliver couldn't contain how happy he was that she said yes. He may have been a playboy at one point in his life, but when it came to his IT girl, there was no such thing as playing it cool.

Felicity smiled, gave his hand one last squeeze and went to get into her car. Oliver opened the door for her, foreshadowing how their date tomorrow was going to be, before telling her good night. She was going to be treated like a queen, and he couldn't wait.

The next day was the longest day of Oliver's life. Time seemed to drag by and he couldn't stand it. He caught himself staring at Felicity multiple times throughout the day. He even went out of his way to talk to her. It was always about work or their night time activities, but he just needed an excuse to interact with her.

He couldn't control himself, and that terrified him. He always had to have control, both professionally and personally. This woman had a hold on him, and he wasn't quite sure how to wiggle out of it. Hell, he wasn't quite sure he wanted to.

When the work day was finally over, Oliver went straight to Felicity's office to find her gathering all of her things. His palms immediately started to sweat. What if she backed out? What if she didn't want to go?

"Felicity. You heading out?" Oliver asked her, trying to remain vague and hide how nervous he was.

Felicity turned around to look at him, and he immediately saw how frantic she looked. Oh no. This couldn't be good.

"Oliver, hi. I'm just getting ready to go home. I've gotta get ready for our date tonight. I mean, we are still going right? Because if you have to cancel, I totally understand. Wait, did I just call this a date? Crap. I meant… Oh. Wait. You called this a date, so I guess that means I can too? Right? Anyways, if you need to cancel…" Felicity trailed off, and Oliver saw her shoulders fall, expecting him to cancel.

"Actually, Felicity. I just wanted to make sure we were still on for our date. Yes, it's a date. I made reservations at the new Italian restaurant. I hope that's okay?" Oliver smiled. He'd been wanting to talk about this all day. He was happy to find her just as nervous as he was.

Felicity smiled as soon as he reassured her the date was still happening, and it took all his strength to not close the distance between them and press his lips to hers.

He could do that later.

Felicity took a deep breath and made her way to the door, stopping right in front of him.

"That sounds perfect. I'll see you later." Felicity smiled, reached on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, and left without another word.

The moment her lips met his cheek, Oliver felt a heat rising inside of him. He smiled and turned around to watch her walk away. He noticed the confidence in the way she walked and immediately thought how sexy it was.

Was it 7:00 yet?


	7. Chapter 7

Felicity got to her apartment with her heart still beating erratically. Had Oliver really just asked her out? On a date?

Just thinking about it had made her giddy all day and she barely got through work. When it had finally been time to go home, she couldn't control how excited she was. Oliver had even shown up at her office at the end of the day in order to let her know he had made reservations.

She almost melted on the spot.

To say she was excited would be a huge understatement. She had almost lost her nerve when she kissed him on the cheek, but she had done it. She had closed the gap and finally felt his skin under her lips.

She was immediately addicted to it, and could only hope it happened again.

Now that she was home, she did everything she could to calm her nerves. While she was getting ready, she gave her undivided attention to her makeup and clothes. She must've tried on at least ten different dresses before deciding on the perfect one.

It was red, and went just past her knees. She put the dress on and matched it with her favorite black heels.

She had just finished putting on the final touches when she heard someone knocking on her door.

This was it. He was here and, as she looked at the clock to see it was exactly 7:00, right on time. That made her smile, because he was never on time. Knowing he was on time for their date made her feel that much more special.

Smiling, she walked to the door and opened it to find Oliver in a perfectly fitting suit. She internally sighed while staring at the man in front of her. When her eyes finally rose to meet his, she realized he had been doing exactly what she had and couldn't help the blush that rose to her cheeks. He had been checking her out.

She saw Oliver sigh before he said, "Felicity. You look breathtaking."

Felicity smiled and let her eyes fall to the floor and rise again as she replied, "Thank you, Oliver. You look very handsome."

She saw his eyes light up and knew her face looked the same. She grabbed her purse and reached for her coat so they wouldn't miss their reservation. After helping her into her coat, Oliver led her out of her apartment with his hand on her lower back.

The touch was so intimate that Felicity couldn't fight the burn that ignited low in her stomach.

She just hoped she could make it through dinner before allowing that burn to take over.

This was going to be a long night.

They got to the restaurant just in time for their reservations. The car ride there was a comfortable silence and it made Felicity smile. They had always been comfortable with each other, and she was happy to know that wouldn't change now.

When they got to their table, Oliver helped her out of her coat and pulled her chair out for her. He ordered a bottle of wine once he sat down and she couldn't help but say, "Finally. I get that wine you owe me from when I helped you with that 'scavenger hunt' two years ago."

Felicity sees Oliver's smile widen and he pours wine for both of them as he says, "I know. I'm sorry it took me so long."

Felicity looks at him and sees a somber expression on his face. She realizes he isn't talking about the wine anymore, but about the entire night.

"Well, better late than never if you ask me." She tells him with a smile on her face. He returns it as he replaces the wine and raises his glass to hers for a toast.

"So, what should we toast to?" Felicity asks.

"Hmm… How about we toast to new beginnings?" Oliver says to her, holding so much promise in those words.

"Well," Felicity says, "I won't argue with that."

As they both were lost in their thoughts, Felicity realized there was no one else in the restaurant.

"Oliver… Why are there no other people here?" She asks, even though she already knows the answer. She just wants to hear him say it.

He steadies his gaze on her and she sees something in his eyes that makes her breath catch. Was that...? No. It couldn't be. The candlelight was definitely messing with her eyesight.

"I closed the restaurant down for us tonight. I thought it'd be better if we had some privacy." Oliver stared at her, and she thought her heart was going to beat out of her chest at the look he had in his eyes.

He wanted to do everything for her.

For them.

When their food arrived 20 minutes later, they enjoyed it in silence. Oliver ordered the chef specials for both of them, which was a pasta that tasted amazing. Felicity tried her hardest not to drool when they set it in front of her.

After their plates were scraped clean, they sat there and talked. Oliver asked her about her past, and Felicity asked him about his.

He told her he wasn't on Lian Yu the entire time he was gone, and Felicity couldn't help but be curious and ask him where he was if he wasn't there.

She could see the battle he was holding inside. She grabbed his hand across the table and looked deep into his eyes, and said "Oliver, you can trust me."

He gave her hand a squeeze and whispered, "I know I can. I just don't know if you can handle what I'm about to tell you."

Felicity looked at him and waited as he made his decision on whether to tell her or not. She knew this was difficult for him, so she didn't want to push him. She simply stared at their intertwined hands in awe because of how well they fit together. His strong, calloused hand around hers was probably the best feeling Felicity had ever had.

As she saw him take a deep breath, she noticed out of the corner of her eye there was someone outside. To anyone else, it probably would've looked like they were just talking on the phone, but Felicity knew better. After being around Oliver and Diggle for so long, she knew how to detect suspicious behavior.

The man was standing by the window, shuffling his feet back and forth while his hands were in a bag in front of him. She saw him look up at her, and that was when she saw it.

The man held a device that was black and had wires sticking out of it. When she processed it was a bomb, she didn't hesitate.

She jumped out of her chair, flung herself across the table to Oliver and had just brought the table down in front of them when the bomb went off.

Right before the darkness took her, she realized she was finally where she wanted to be: in Oliver's arms.


	8. Chapter 8

Oliver had never been one to be right on time for anything, but when it came to his date with Felicity, he made sure to be on time.

He pulled up to her apartment ten minutes early and mentally patted himself on the back. He had hit traffic on his way and was happy he had left as early as he had. As he stepped out of his black Maserati, he felt his palms start to sweat. He had somehow controlled his nerves since he left the office and got ready, but they had made a strong comeback.

He slowly made his way up to Felicity's apartment on the second floor of her building and waited at the end of the hallway. He wanted to knock on her door right at 7:00 and not a moment before.

As he waited, he started thinking about the way this date could go. He had closed the restaurant down for the night because he wanted it to feel even more intimate and he only hoped she didn't find it presumptuous of him. He had only wanted her to feel as special as she was to him.

When 7:00 came, he raised his hand to her door and knocked lightly. He took a deep breath and when she opened the door, he couldn't stop his gaze from traveling all over her.

She was in a stunning red dress and he immediately thought it was his new favorite color. Her hair was down and she didn't have her glasses on. He took her in from head to toe and when he finally reached her eyes, his breath caught in his throat.

"Felicity. You look breathtaking." He told her, never meaning something more than he had in that moment. She literally took his breath away.

He saw her shift her eyes to the floor before returning to his and saying "Thank you, Oliver. You look very handsome."

He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face as they left her apartment. He couldn't wait to see how the rest of the night was going to go.

.

Oliver woke up in pain. While that had happened before, he knew this time was different. Usually, when he woke up in pain, he remembered why he was hurting. This time, he had no idea.

He opened his eyes slowly and tried to figure out where he was. All he could see was red. He immediately recognized it as Felicity's dress and starting to panic. How had she ended up on top of him?

He gently tried to shake her awake, but she didn't budge. He moved his hand to her neck to feel for a pulse and, while there was one, he knew she was in serious trouble. Her pulse was very faint and if he didn't get her out of here quick, she wouldn't make it.

His instincts took over and he looked around before moving. He didn't see anything except burnt debris from what was left of the restaurant.

Since Felicity was on top of him, he slowly moved her body to the side of him and sat up. He put his arms under her knees and head so he was holding her bridal style. When he didn't see anyone around, he stood up and walked out of the restaurant, holding Felicity's unconscious body as close to him as he could get her.

When he got to the foundry ten minutes later, he set Felicity on the table and immediately called Diggle. Diggle answered and when Oliver told him what had happened, Diggle told him he would be there in five minutes.

Oliver threw his phone across the room in a blind rage. Who would do this to her? It was one thing for someone to target him, but Felicity?! He put his hands on the table next to her and bowed his head. How had this night gotten so bad? What had happened?! His mind was going crazy with who could do this. He had made so many enemies over the years that there was no way he could narrow it down without more information.

He studied her breathing while he waited for Diggle to get there. Every time she exhaled, he felt like his heart was going to stop. What if that had been her last breath?

He heard Diggle get to the foundry and come down the stairs. Diggle immediately started asking questions that Oliver couldn't answer as he hooked her up to a heart monitor and looked for the problem.

"What happened? How did she end up like this? Where were you?" Oliver heard the questions, but he didn't know where to begin.

Diggle simply kept working on her while Oliver stood there with his head down. Could he handle it if she died?

Oliver immediately knew the answer to that question was no. Of all the people in his life who had died, he knew Felicity's death would hurt the most. She was so innocent in all of this and he wouldn't be able to continue on his journey as a hero. She had to get through this.

Oliver grabbed Felicity's hand and started whispering to her.

"Felicity. I need you to wake up. I need you to be okay. You can't die like this. Do you hear me? You can't leave me... I love you." Oliver had finally said those three words to her and she wasn't even conscious to hear them. He heard Diggle gasp, but he didn't say anything.

Oliver only cared about his date who was lying on the table unconscious. She was going to get through this. When she did, they were going to find who did this and Oliver was going to put an arrow through them.

It had been two hours since the bombing and Felicity was still unconscious. Diggle had hooked her up to an IV, saying the fluids would help her wake up, and cleaned all of her visible scratches from the bomb.

Oliver had been trying to remember what happened at the restaurant but nothing had popped in his head.

Diggle handed Oliver a bottle of water silently and sat down next to him, resting his head in his hands. After a moment, Oliver heard Diggle ask "Oliver. What happened?"

Oliver shook his head and tried to stop the tears that had been threatening to fall.

"I'm not sure, Diggle. We were at a restaurant eating dinner and the next thing I knew I was on the floor with Felicity lying on top of me. That's all I remember…" Oliver trailed off, trying his hardest to remember what the last few moments had been like.

Diggle was quiet for a moment before saying "How did Felicity get on top of you? If you were at dinner, she would've been across the table. Unless…."

Diggle's sentence struck Oliver. He knew he was right. There was no way Felicity would've ended up on top of Oliver… unless she had seen the bomb.

Oliver lifted his head to look at Felicity and whispered "Diggle… she saw it, didn't she? That would be the only explanation. She must've seen the bomb and reacted, jumping to my side of the table to get me out of the way." Oliver immediately felt the tears fall, realizing Felicity had put herself between Oliver and the bomb in order to save him. She could've just yelled "Bomb!" and ducked under the table, but instead, she chose to save him.

"Why, Felicity? Why did you do this? You shouldn't be the one saving me. I should be the one saving you…" Oliver whispered, mostly to himself. He felt guilty, and he wasn't sure he would ever get over knowing she was lying on that table, banged up, because of him.

"Oliver?"


	9. Chapter 9

"Oliver?" Felicity whispered, not liking how rough her voice sounded. She wasn't sure where she was, but she knew Oliver would be close.

She heard the shuffling of his feet before she felt his hand close around hers and she couldn't help the warmth that spread through her.

"Felicity! You're awake. How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?" Oliver replied, not giving her a chance to respond.

Felicity opened her eyes and saw Oliver standing next to her with a worried expression on his face. Next to him was Diggle, who looked exhausted.

"Felicity, can you hear me? Are you okay?" Oliver got closer, his forehead almost touching hers and she smiled. She opened her mouth to respond when she remembered why they were asking her all of these questions.

The bomb.

"Oh my God. Oliver, are you okay? What happened? All I remember is seeing the bomb and jumping towards you. Where am I?" Felicity asked, trying to dig into her memories.

She felt Oliver lift her slowly, careful not to hurt her. He took a deep breath and replied, "You're at the foundry. You've been unconscious for about two hours and Diggle cleaned all of the scratches that were caused by the bomb. We did an MRI and cat scan and didn't see anything broken and there was no sign of a concussion. What were you thinking?! You could've been killed jumping in front of me when you saw that bomb!"

She knew he was trying really hard to control his anger, but she knew this would happen. He wouldn't understand that she needed to make sure he was okay. When she saw that bomb, she reacted. It was her instinct to save him, just like it was his to save her.

She ripped her hand out of his and leveled him with a glare. She swung her legs over the table and said, "Well, I did what I thought was the best for both of us. I didn't really think about it. I saw a bomb and just acted. If you want to be mad, that's fine. But I'm not. We're both safe and that is what's important."

Felicity hopped down from the table and towards the door. She needed to get out of there before she broke down. She had risked her life for his and this was how he thanked her?!

"Felicity, let me drive you home. Your apartment is on my way anyways." She heard Diggle run to catch up with her and knew he wouldn't accept no as an answer. After all, she didn't have her car and she was too exhausted to walk.

When she got to the door, she turned around to see Oliver with his head down. She knew she should've felt bad for what she said to him, but she didn't. He needed to learn she could take care of herself and that she wasn't so easy to break.

She turned around and walked out of the foundry with her head held high.

When Diggle pulled up to her apartment, she thanked him and got out, promising to see him tomorrow. A nice, warm bath was calling her name and she couldn't wait to sink into it and relax after the long day she had. Her bones were aching and she just wanted to get cleaned up and sleep.

She got to her apartment and immediately went to the bathroom. She turned the water in her bathtub on hot and got undressed. She sank into the water and felt her body relax for the first time all day.

She let herself get lost in her thoughts. She knew Oliver was feeling guilty for not seeing the bomb first, but there was nothing they could do about it now. They were both fine and that really was what mattered.

Felicity pictured what would've happened if the bomb hadn't gone off. They would've shared some dessert, finished their bottle of wine, and she would've finally gotten some answers. Oliver was about to tell her about his time away for those five years, she knows it. Why did something always get in the way of them?

After the water went cold, Felicity got out and put on her robe. She didn't bother brushing her hair because she knew it would've hurt too much. She could deal with it tomorrow. Her bed was calling her name.

The day had been one of the longest she had ever had, and she was ready to dive into a dreamless sleep. She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, dreaming of a certain man in a perfectly fitting suit.

The next day, Felicity woke up to her alarm going off. She knew she could skip work if she wanted to, but there was no point. All she would do at home all day was sit around and wonder about Oliver, so she figured she might as well go to work.

She arrived at work at 8:00 to find Oliver hadn't arrived yet. She wasn't surprised. He always arrived just after her, so she put her things down and got to work.

About half an hour later, she looked up from her computer to see Oliver coming out of the elevator. She noticed the dark circles under his eyes immediately and her heart ached. Had he gotten any sleep?

"Good morning, Ms. Smoak." Oliver said to her, barely glancing her way. His voice was cold and distant and she felt her blood run cold.

"Mr. Queen." Felicity acknowledged him, not giving him the pleasure of knowing he was affecting her. She knew this was childish, but she refused to apologize for being right. He needed to accept the fact that she was part of their team and could make her own choices.

She watched as Oliver went into his office and closed the door. As he got to his desk, part of her expected him to glance her way and dazzle her with his Felicity smile, but she knew he wouldn't. She looked away before she could be disappointed and got back to work.

Today was going to be a long day.


	10. Chapter 10

Oliver watched as Felicity walked out the door with Diggle behind her. He wanted to go after her so bad, but he knew she needed time. She didn't understand how important he was to her and what she did, protecting him before herself, really hit home with him. She was willing to give her life up for him and no woman had ever been willing to do that.

After an intense workout with the training dummy, Oliver decided to call it a night. He took the long way home to check on Felicity at her apartment. He had to know she was safe.

He climbed the fire escape to her apartment and made sure he wasn't visible as he looked inside. He saw her coming out of her bathroom and his jaw hit the floor. She was in a white robe that went to her mid-thigh and the sight of her made his pants tighter.

He watched as she got into her bed and immediately fell asleep. He smiled at how beautiful she was. He just stood there and watched her for a few more minutes before going home.

Oliver pulled up to his house twenty minutes later more confused than ever. His feelings for Felicity were growing and they terrified him. He'd already put her in danger more times than he would like and he knew the more people who knew how he felt about her, the more danger she would be in.

Just like that, he knew what he had to do.

Oliver woke up the next morning feeling like absolute crap. He had made his decision last night about Felicity, but going through with it was a different story. Deep down, he knew he was making the right decision, but he also knew it was going to hurt like hell. It didn't matter though. He had to keep her safe, no matter what.

When he got to the office an hour later, he prepared himself for what was about to happen. The elevator dinged on his floor and he froze in place. Could he really do this? He took a deep breath and stepped out of the elevator. He immediately saw Felicity at her desk. She looked stunning, as always, and it took all he had to not turn around and go straight home.

She moved her eyes to look at him as he was walking toward her and he could see she was still hurting from their fight last night. She didn't smile at him, and that made what he was about to do even harder. He would miss that smile.

"Good morning, Ms. Smoak." Oliver said, not chancing looking right at her. He knew if he did, he would stop and apologize. He had no control when it came to her.

He could visibly see the disappointment in her eyes for half a second before she replied with a curt, "Mr. Queen."

He walked into his office and reminded himself, as he would often throughout the day, that he was doing the right thing. Every time she came into his office and only talked about company related topics, he wanted to apologize. When he saw her leave for lunch without telling him, he almost ran after her. When she left at the end of the day, he almost called for her and begged for forgiveness. But he knew this is what had to be done. He knew this was the only way to keep her safe.

Oliver didn't go to the foundry that night, or the rest of the week. He couldn't handle seeing Felicity seemingly unaffected by what had happened between them. While they were at work, she avoided him. In meetings, she sat as far away from him as she could get. It broke his heart every single time, but he reminded himself it was the right thing to do. They were pushing each other away, but at least she was safe.

It was Saturday afternoon and Oliver was at home, trying to clean up. While he had managed to save Queen Consolidated, he had sold the mansion because it was too much for just him. With Thea gone and his mother dead, he downgraded to a small one bedroom apartment. It was just enough for him and he enjoyed being able to call it his.

He was in the middle of doing the dishes when he heard a knock on the door. He was immediately alert, because the only people who know where he lived were Diggle and Felicity. Since Felicity wasn't talking to him, he knew it couldn't be her. That only left Diggle, so that worried Oliver. Had something happened to Felicity?

Oliver opened the door and found his "bodyguard" leaning against the door frame. He looked pissed and Oliver recoiled at the look on his face.

Diggle walked right past him and went to the living room. He sat on the couch and motioned for Oliver to join him. Oliver made himself comfortable in the chair across from Diggle and waited. He knew when Diggle had something to say.

"Oliver, what is going on with you and Felicity? You haven't been to the foundry all week. Every time I ask Felicity what's going on, she just shrugs like she doesn't know. The Felicity I know would never be impassive when it came to you, so I know something is going on."

Oliver opened his mouth to deny it when Diggle put his hand up and said, "Don't even attempt to deny it. I'm no idiot and if you lie, I'll know. So make this easier on all of us and come out with it."

Oliver took a deep breath and told Diggle everything. He told him they hadn't really talked in almost a week unless it was about QC. He told him about his decision to push her away to keep her safe. And, he told him he loved her. Oliver expected Diggle to have a surprised look on his face or something, but he didn't. Diggle simply remained quiet as Oliver came clean.

When Oliver finished, Diggle looked at him and said, "Are you kidding me, man? You're just now realizing you love her? Give me a break! Anyone with two eyes could see you two love each other!"

To say Oliver was shocked at what Diggle had said would be an understatement. He thought he had done so well at hiding how he felt about Felicity, but apparently he hadn't. Even more of a reason to keep his distance. If Diggle could see it, so could their enemies. Felicity loved him? Oliver knew she liked him, but love?

Diggle took a deep breath and stood up. He looked at Oliver and said, "Look, I know you love this girl and you know you love this girl. I'm pretty sure everyone knows you love her. But does she know? You pushing her away won't help anything. She chose this life for herself, and nothing you say or do will change that. You need to decide if you're going to be happy with her, or if you're going to be miserable without her. Either way, she will be in danger. Nothing is guaranteed in this life and you need to see that. Look at me and Lyla. We were married, got divorced, and now we're having a kid! We both know something could happen to either of us because we serve our country, but that's not our entire life. We have each other and we're going to have this baby and raise it as best we can. We could all die tomorrow, man. Do you really want to let time pass you by without telling Felicity how you feel?"

Diggle looked at him one final time before he left. When Diggle closed the door, Oliver was left in his apartment to be consumed by his thoughts. Could he be with Felicity? What if she got hurt because of him? What if she got killed?! But, what if she didn't? He could protect her. He knew he could. She had called him a hero and he knew he could be her hero. He could have everything he ever wanted with her.

Oliver looked at the clock to see it was just past 10:00. He couldn't wait until morning to tell her how he felt. He had to go to her tonight before he lost his nerve.

He threw on his jacket and locked up his apartment in record time. He drove to Felicity's apartment, getting there in 10 minutes, when it usually took at least 15.

It was safe to say he didn't abide by all the traffic laws on the way there.

He ran up to her apartment and knocked on her door before he thought twice about it. He heard the locks on her door turning and the anticipation was killing him.

What he didn't expect, however, was who answered the door.

Barry.


	11. Chapter 11

That week at work and the foundry had been exhausting for Felicity. Oliver remained distant and cold, so Felicity did the same. At the office, they only talked about the company. At the foundry, Oliver never even showed up. Felicity and Diggle kept an eye out on the city, but nothing ever popped up that required Oliver.

Felicity had been miserable. She had gone through a pint of mint chip every night before bed. When she finally did get some sleep, she dreamed of Oliver. She dreamed of their date the night before everything changed. She dreamed of the different ways it could've ended if that bomb hadn't gone off. She knew she couldn't change things though. Oliver made up his mind about them, and she knew when he set his mind on something, he rarely changed it. Felicity just had to accept her and Oliver weren't going to happen.

So, with this in mind, she called Barry. She hadn't seen him since he got out of the coma and she knew they had some things to talk about. He told her he could come by tomorrow, which was a Saturday, so they could talk so they promised to see each other then and hung up the phone. She got into bed that night feeling sadder than ever. Not only could she not quit thinking about Oliver and how she felt she was betraying him by calling Barry, but she also felt like she was lying to herself. She knew Oliver would always be the one for her. Unfortunately, Oliver had made it clear the past week they weren't going to happen. It was time she moved on.

Felicity woke up the next day around noon. She had finally been able to catch up on the sleep she missed because of her late nights at the foundry and she definitely needed it. She ran some errands that she had to get done before Barry got there and that took up most of her day. When she got home at 5:00, she had a text from Barry telling her he would be there in about an hour. Felicity had just enough time to take a shower and get ready.

An hour later, as Felicity was putting the lasagna she had bought for them in the oven, she heard a knock at her door. She knew it was Barry, so she walked to the door with a skip in her step. This could all go terribly wrong, but she didn't care. Barry was a friend, and she knew that.

When she swung the door open, Barry stood there in his usual outfit. He was wearing blue jeans, a sweater, and his converse. She noticed he had gotten a little more buff since the last time she saw him and she immediately compared him to Oliver. Oliver was definitely the bigger man, but Barry had gotten quite the muscle in the last few months. If he kept going, he could get to Oliver's size.

Felicity realized she was ogling him and brought her eyes back up to his. He had a nice smile on his face and she returned it easily. He moved in to hug her and she returned it without hesitation. This is the way a friendship was supposed to be, she thought.

She invited him in and closed the door behind him, offering him a glass of wine. He accepted and followed her into her kitchen. When Felicity poured the wine and turned around to give it to Barry, she realized he had a distant look on his face. She was used to Oliver tuning out, but not Barry.

"Barry, is everything okay?" She asked him, handing him his wine.

He seemed to snap back to present time and took the glass from her and had a sip before answering, "Yeah, sorry. I've just had a lot going on since I woke up. I haven't seen you in so long. I've missed you."

Felicity smiled at him and had a sip of her wine. She thought about what he said carefully and said, "I've missed you, too. What's been going on? Do you wanna talk about it?"

Felicity knew the answer before he replied, but she had to ask. She was used to the men in her life not answering questions.

"No, that's okay. I'll be fine. So, how have things been going while I was out?" She knew he was trying to change the subject, but she didn't mind.

"Things have been… crazy to say the least." Felicity replied, not wanting to get into the details.

Barry shot her a small smile and went to the living room while she checked the lasagna. Why did she choose the food that took an hour to cook? "Way to go, Felicity." She muttered under her breath as she made her way to join Barry in the living room.

For the next hour, they talked about the easy things. Mainly work and Team Arrow, but Barry did mention Iris. Felicity had heard her name before but didn't press him about her when he mentioned her. She could tell he really cared for her, so it seemed like they both had something in common. They were with each other because they couldn't be with the people they really loved.

When dinner was ready, they ate in a comfortable silence, only speaking to say how good it was. Afterwards, they watched a movie. Felicity couldn't tell you which movie it was because her mind kept drifting to Oliver. She had thought being with Barry would help get her mind off of him, but it hadn't. It had only made things worse.

When the movie ended, Felicity stood and grabbed their empty wine glasses to put them in the kitchen. Barry cleared the table of their empty plates and put the lasagna in the fridge while Felicity went to the bathroom. Felicity heard a knock on her door and had no clue who it could be. Was it Diggle? Felicity immediately started to panic at the thought. The only reason Diggle would be here this late is if something happened to Oliver.

Felicity washed her hands and went to the living room to see Oliver standing there, glaring at Barry.

She knew this wouldn't end well.


	12. Chapter 12

When Barry opened the door to Felicity's apartment, Oliver's smile vanished. What was he doing here? He looked past Barry to see the couch had a blanket on it and Oliver felt bile rise in his throat. Were they on a… date?

Oliver saw Barry looking at him with a huge grin on his face. How was this kid always so happy? Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Felicity emerge from her bedroom and stop in her tracks once she saw him.

Barry cleared his throat and said, "Hey, uh, Mr. Queen… I mean Oliver? No, Mr. Queen sounds better. How's it going?"

Oliver got his emotions under control and just like that his walls were back up. He took a step back and replied, "Good. Just wanted to check on Felicity. I see she's in good hands though, so I'll just go."

Oliver turned around and left before Barry could even reply. He couldn't do this. He couldn't stand there and pretend to be happy with Felicity's new relationship. He finally understand why she had easily given him up. She had Barry. She didn't need Oliver.

He made his way to the stairs. He knew he couldn't stand there and wait for the elevator. When he opened the door to the stairwell, he saw Felicity. She was only about ten feet from him, but it might as well have been ten miles. He felt so far from her and it broke his heart. She was coming towards him at a surprisingly fast rate and she looked livid.

Part of him wanted to just run away and forget he ever came here. It didn't matter that he had all the intentions in the world earlier to tell her he loved her, but now, with Barry, everything had changed. She didn't love him back. She wasn't hurting. Not like he was.

The other part of him, the stronger part, wanted to know what she was so mad about. It's not like he caused some kind of scene. He thought he was civil enough to Barry.

When she reached him, she stopped right in front of him and raised to the tips of her toes so she could be right in his face. She pointed a finger at him and said, "What are you doing here? You have absolutely no right to come to my apartment so late at night and just storm off. What's your problem?!"

She lowered herself after she finished talking and took a step back, almost as if he's the one who had said those words. He wasn't sure what happened, but it was like she hadn't meant to show she had cared. It reminded him of when they were in Russia and she had seen him with Isabel. He knew she was trying not to show how hurt she was, but she couldn't hide that from him. He knew her better than anyone.

He took a moment to gather what he was going to tell her. Should he be honest? Should he make up some stupid lie like he did when they first met? He knew she would see right through him if he lied, so he decided to go with a half-truth.

"I just came by to tell you I'm sorry for how tense things have been with us lately. This has been affecting us as a team, and that's not okay. The city comes first and we need to figure this out before the city suffers because of it." There, she had to believe that.

Oliver saw Felicity's eyes close for just a fraction of a second too long before she opened them again. He immediately saw what she had done. She had pushed down the disappointment at hearing his words. Why would she be disappointed? He had apologized, which is something he never did.

She took a deep breath before she nodded her head, turned around, and started to walk away. She had taken three steps before she turned around to look at him and said, "Well, Oliver, maybe you need to think about why this affects both of us so much and where it is I fit into your life. You keep pushing me away, but I know you. I know you didn't come here to just talk to me about the team. If that was true, Diggle would've been here too. This is about you and me, and until we figure this out, this is how things will stay. So, you can either tell me why you really came here, or I'll just go back to my apartment and spend my time with someone who I know cares about me."

Felicity steadied him with her gaze for just a moment longer before she turned back around and went to her apartment. Oliver was still in shock by what she had said. She didn't know where she fit into his life? She had to know how much he cared for her. He told her he loved her! Granted, it was in a life or death situation and Slade could see everything, but he had said it. And when he had said those words, they were only for her. He thought she knew that.

Oliver stared at the door to Felicity's apartment down the hall for a full five minutes after she had disappeared behind it. Should he go to her? Should he leave? The battle he was waging within was threatening to eat him up. If he did decide he wanted to talk to her, would she make Barry leave? Or, worse, would she tell Oliver to leave?

Screw it, he thought. He needed to do this. He had to tell Felicity how he felt. He walked back to her door and knocked loudly, letting her know it was him and he had made up his mind. She opened the door with Barry right behind her.

"Oliver." Felicity said, staring him down. He almost stepped back because of how intense her gaze was, but he didn't.

"Felicity, I was wondering if I could have a moment." Oliver replied, sweeping his hand out to show her he wanted her to come into the hallway. No way was he doing this with Barry right there.

"Actually, Barry was just leaving, so you can come in here and wait while I walk him out." Felicity replied, walking right past him with Barry following closely behind. Barry stopped next to Oliver and smiled at him.

"She's all yours, man." Barry said, and Oliver knew he meant in more ways than one. The relief that flowed through him was almost too much to handle. In those four words, Oliver got the answers to the questions he had been asking himself since Barry showed up in their lives.

There was nothing going on between them.

Barry patted Oliver on the arm and followed Felicity down the hall to the elevator. Oliver watched as they said goodbye and Barry got on the elevator and Felicity made her way back to her apartment. She walked right past Oliver without a word. Oliver allowed himself a smile before he turned around. He knew she would be mad if he was smiling while she was so mad, so he made sure he had an indifferent look on his face when he closed the door behind him.

He turned around to see her on the couch, legs tucked underneath her. He sat at the opposite end of the couch and prepared himself for the talk they were about to have. He knew it was probably going to be hard, but this needed to happen.

He was going to tell her everything.


	13. Chapter 13

Felicity was staring at Oliver as he made his way over to the couch to join her. She wasn't sure what was about to happen and why he was there, but she knew it required her undivided attention. He had shown up to her apartment late, and Oliver wouldn't do that for something that wasn't important. While he had interrupted her date with Barry, she knew the moment she saw Barry they would never be anything more than friends. Her heart beat for Oliver, and seeing Barry reminded her of that. Not once did her pulse race for him like it did for Oliver. All seeing him did was remind her how much she loved another man.

Her plan to get over him had failed. Miserably.

When Oliver sat down to join her, he turned his body in her direction and smiled a nervous smile. He cleared his throat before he looked her in her eyes and began talking.

"Felicity, I need to know what's going on with you and Barry before I can tell you why I'm here."

She saw him shift uncomfortably and knew he wouldn't ask unless he actually needed to know. She took a deep breath and said, "There's nothing going on with me and Barry. We're just friends."

"Then why was he here so late?" Oliver asked her, and she saw how nervous he was waiting for her answer.

Felicity looked around her apartment wondering how she was going to word this. She knew if she said one wrong thing he would shut down again.

"We just had dinner and watched a movie. I hadn't seen him in a long time and we were catching up. There's nothing going on between us." She looked at him and waited for his reaction. He would either shut down or finally open up to her, and she really hoped it was the latter of the two.

He seemed to really think about his next sentence. He was silent for a minute before he looked at her and she saw his eyes soften. He stood up and walked to her end of the couch, putting his hand out for her to take. She didn't hesitate as she took it and he pulled her off the couch in one fluid motion.

They were only inches apart as Oliver towered over her. She didn't feel intimidated until she looked up at him and saw the look in his eyes. He had so many emotions in there and she couldn't possibly name all of them, but there was one emotion she recognized that made her heart skip a beat. She immediately knew that look because she too had that look when she thought of him.

Love.

She watched as he lifted his hand to cup her cheek and let his eyes flick to her lips for just a moment before meeting hers again. She felt the electricity shoot through her the moment he touched her and her eyes automatically closed shut. The feelings flowing through her were almost too much. Was this happening?

"Felicity." She heard Oliver whisper her name and it had never sounded sweeter. She opened her eyes to see him smiling down at her and smiled back shyly.

"Oliver." She breathed, not sure it was even loud enough for him to hear.

They stood there, toe to toe, looking into each other's eyes for what seemed like hours yet only seconds. Time seemed to be non-existent when Oliver was looking at her. She wasn't sure if she remembered to breathe while they stood there, but her heart sure remembered to beat. She thought it would beat right out of her chest.

She saw Oliver's smile transform into a grin as she brought her hand to his shoulder. She wasn't sure she would be able to keep standing without his support. He moved his hand to her forehead where she had some stray strands of hair and he pushed them out of the way of her face.

The gesture was so intimate that Felicity's knees immediately got weak. She fell against Oliver and he was quick to put his arms around her waist and hold her up while she waited for her knees to start working again. She looked up at him again and their faces were so close that their noses were almost touching.

She saw the moment he decided to close the distance. His eyes flicked to her lips for just a moment before raising to her eyes yet again and she knew he would do it this time.

He lowered his head to hers and she closed her eyes. Was this finally about to happen?

The moment his lips touched hers, she latched her arms around his neck and held on for dear life. He still had his arms wrapped around her waist and he tightened his grip on her as he deepened the kiss. The moment his tongue passed her lips, she felt like she was in heaven. The passion she felt from him caused her to moan into his mouth and she felt his growl against her mouth before she heard it.

At least he was affected by this as much as she was.

They stood there, for how long she didn't know, and just explored each other. She felt the muscles in his back as they kissed and she thought about his time on the salmon ladder. She always wondered what they would feel like under her touch and now she knew. She needed to get a better imagination, because the reality of feeling him was ten times better than she had imagined. She felt the muscles in his arms around her entire body and she loved it. He was like a drug that she hoped she could be addicted to forever.

They broke apart only because they needed to breathe. He rested his forehead against hers and she never wanted him to move. When she opened her eyes, she saw him staring back at her with the biggest grin she had ever seen on his face.

Her emotions overwhelmed her and she stepped back so she could think straight. She knew being that close to him would cause her brain to turn into mush and she needed to know where this was going. She couldn't question this anymore.

"Oliver, what are we doing?" She asked him, taking another step back and sitting on the couch. She put her elbows on her knees and let her head rest in her hands. If she looked at him, she would've told him to forget about what she had said and started kissing him again. But she knew they had to have this talk and in order to do that, she needed a clear head.

She felt Oliver sit next to her and his fingers found her chin, raising her head to look at him. He stared at her and she saw his eyes searching her face. She didn't know what he was searching for, but whatever it was, he must've found it. He took her hands in his and looked her in the eyes as he said his next words, never wavering.

"I love you, Felicity." Her breath caught and she immediately felt tears forming in her eyes. How long had she waited to hear that without the threat of the world ending? "I have tried to push you away and keep my distance, but I can't anymore. You're it for me. I know things have been difficult between us lately, but I can't keep lying to myself or to you. I can't promise it won't be hard, because it will be, but I want this. I want us. I want to wake up every single day next to you and I want to go to sleep every single night with you by my side. You were never just some IT girl to me, Felicity. You've always been more. You were the first person that saw me as a hero and when everyone else didn't believe in me, you did. I love you."

Felicity stared at him as the tears fell down her cheeks.

He loved her.

He wanted to be with her.

She saw Oliver raise his hand to her cheek and she closed her eyes as he wiped her tears away. He kept her face in his hand and smiled adoringly at her. Would she ever get used to this? She doubted it.

"Oliver…" Felicity started, ready to say it back. He had to know she loved him too, right? "I-"

Felicity was interrupted at a loud crashing noise from her kitchen. Oliver was on his feet and shoving Felicity behind him before Felicity could even process what was happening. She knew when the intruder had made his way into the living room because Oliver's breath caught in his throat as he saw who it was.

"Nice to see you again, Oliver."

Felicity knew that voice.

She had been trying to forget about it ever since the night he had a blade to her neck all those months ago.

Slade.


	14. Chapter 14

Oliver felt his blood run cold as he saw Slade standing there, only feet from them. He had promised to come back and kill the person he loves most and, right now, that person was standing right behind him.

Oliver stepped forward and leveled his gaze on Slade all while trying to make sure he focused on him, not Felicity.

"What do you want, Slade?" Oliver asked, using the most intimidating voice he could muster up. Slade wasn't easily intimidated, and Oliver knew he couldn't get Felicity out of here before things got worse. All he could do was prepare himself for the tornado that was Slade Wilson.

"I made you a promise, kid. I told you I keep my promises, and here I am, intending to fulfill that promise." Slade said, his voice even and strong.

Oliver saw Felicity move in his peripheral vision and stand next to him. He wanted to tell her to run, to call Diggle or, even better, A.R.G.U.S., but he knew she wouldn't leave him there. The strength she always showed in times of danger was one of the many reasons he loved her. He just hoped it didn't get her killed.

Oliver watched as Slade looked at Felicity and said, "I see you're still alive, Felicity. How sad. I had hoped someone else had finished what I started!"

Slade lunged at them with his sword drawn and Oliver pushed Felicity out the way. He couldn't worry about her getting hurt while fighting Slade. Slade required all of his attention. He did teach Oliver how to fight, after all.

Oliver landed on his back with Slade pushing his sword to his throat. Oliver had one hand on each end of the sword, trying to keep it as far from his neck as possible.

Oliver heard a loud crashing noise and felt broken glass hit his face. He looked up to see Slade falter just long enough to push him off balance and switch their positions. He threw the sword across the room as he straddled Slade and pinned his hands above his head. He wasn't stronger than Slade, he knew that, but he was smarter.

While Slade was fighting for no one but himself, Oliver was fighting for the woman he loved.

Felicity.

Oliver was struggling against Slade and he knew he couldn't hold him for much longer. His mind was racing for something to do that would impair Slade long enough for Oliver to get Felicity out of there.

He felt Felicity next to him before he saw her. She was holding what remained of a lamp and he realized she had hit Slade with it, which allowed Oliver to switch their positions. He had never been more proud of her. She had tears in her eyes and looked petrified. He knew she was still getting over the first time she had been attacked, so this would only set her back even more at getting better.

She took a deep breath before looking away from Slade and moving her gaze to Oliver. She put her hand on his shoulder and said, "Oliver, what do you need me to do?"

Oliver looked at her and tried to focus on the task at hand. It was hard with her so close, but he knew Slade. He knew if he didn't find a way to make him unconscious, and soon, things would get bloody.

"I need you to find something big and heavy that I can use to knock him out. That's our only chance here." Oliver told her, never looking away from the blue orbs looking back at him.

Oliver returned his attention to a still struggling Slade as Felicity hurried to the kitchen. She wasn't in there long when she came back with a frying pan and Oliver smirked. Of all the things…

She reached Oliver just when he lost his grip on Slade's wrist and Slade punched him square in the jaw. Oliver flinched back long enough for Slade to get from under him and on his feet. Oliver scurried to his feet and stood in front of Felicity, waiting for Slade's next move.

"I'll be back, kid. When I am, you'll wish you had killed me all those months ago." Slade said before jumping out of the nearby window.

Oliver felt all of the air rush out of his lungs as he stared out the window. Slade was back. How was this possible? He turned to see Felicity staring out the window where Slade had left. She wasn't crying like Oliver had thought she would be. She looked… pissed.

"Felicity… are you okay?" Oliver asked, coming to her side and turning her face to look at him.

"We're going to catch him, Oliver. And when we do, this will all be over. I'm done feeling unsafe because of that psychopath! He had to have been the one who attacked me in the foundry. He's the reason I can't go anywhere without being scared! I can't even tell you I love you without someone getting in the way! It's ridiculous!" Felicity almost yelled, visibly mad and upset.

Oliver smiled at her words. She had finally said those three words he had been waiting to hear and, while it wasn't perfect timing, he didn't care. Screw perfect timing.

He leaned down and kissed her. He felt her sink into him as his arms wound around her waist and he deepened the kiss. He tasted the salt from her tears, but it was perfect. She responded to him immediately and stood on her tip toes to be closer to him. He felt her arms go around his neck and he smiled against her lips.

Finally, he thought. They continued like that for what seemed like seconds, but was probably almost ten minutes before breaking apart, breathless. He rested his forehead against hers and smiled.

He opened his eyes to see hers already staring at him and a cheeky grin on her face. He kissed her nose before he pulled away and said, "Come on. You obviously aren't safe here. You're staying with me."

They packed some things and made their way to his apartment. It felt so right, having her there. When she sat on his couch, feet propped up on the coffee table and tablet in hand, he thought he could come home to this, to her, forever.

He knew Slade was still out there and that he needed to devote all of his time and energy to finding Slade. But, for now, he was going to enjoy his time with Felicity. It wasn't often they got to just spend time together without Arrow or Queen Consolidated business.

He sat right next to her on the couch, put his arm around her, and brought her to rest on his shoulder.

She fit perfectly.


	15. Chapter 15

Felicity woke up the next day feeling better than she had in months. While she knew Slade was a huge problem, sleeping with Oliver in the next room over allowed her to finally get a good night's sleep. He had allowed her to have his bed while he slept on the couch and she just laid there after waking up, taking in his scent. She knew that as long as she lived, she would never get tired of the smell of him.

She sat up in bed and looked around, seeing things she didn't get to last night because she was exhausted. She saw clothes in the corner of his room, ready to be washed. She saw pictures of his family on his bedside table. She knew he missed each and every one of them, so her heart ached for him seeing these pictures everywhere. It's like he wanted a constant reminder as to why he got up every morning.

When she finally dragged herself out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, she passed by his dresser and paused. There was a picture frame in the back, hidden by all of the other pictures. She would've missed if she hadn't been paying attention. She picked up the frame from the dresser and brought it closer. What she saw made her heart beat faster and she could feel a blush rising on her cheeks. It was a picture of her. She hadn't even known he had this picture, but she knew what day he had taken it.

It was right after Slade had attacked and they had locked him in purgatory. She was in the foundry, trying to get all of their computer systems up and running again. She remembered Oliver had a camera so he could take pictures of everything that got destroyed and send it to his insurance company. She had been trying to get Oliver to help her with the monitors right before the picture was taken and she remembered the moment vividly.

"Oliver! I need you to put the camera down and help me! These monitors won't put themselves on the table, you know." She had just turned to look at him when she saw the flash go off, but she didn't think he was taking a picture of her.

Well, she had been wrong. Obviously.

She replaced the picture back on the dresser and went to the bathroom with a smile on her face. As she showered, she kept replaying last night in her mind. The way they sat together on the couch, her body tucked in next to his with his arm around her. She knew she had a stupid grin on her face the entire time they sat there, but she didn't care.

Things were finally getting better. They were finally acknowledging how they felt.

After her shower, Felicity went into the living room to find Oliver still spread out on the couch, looking uncomfortable. She had argued with him the night before, saying he could take the bed because she knew the couch would be uncomfortable for him, but he wouldn't hear of it. She had obviously been right, but the gesture was sweet.

She went over to him and bent over him to wake him up. She put her hand on his shoulder and tried to shake him awake. She leaned closer to whisper in his ear, trying not to startle him. "Oliver, it's time to get up. Oliver." Next thing she knew, he had his arm around her waist, pulling her on top of him. He had a grin on his face as he opened his eyes. When their eyes met, she knew he had done it on purpose. He had probably been awake the moment she walked into the room.

"Good morning, Felicity." He said to her, his voice thick with sleep. Felicity almost moaned at how wonderful his voice sounded in the morning, but she controlled herself.

"Good morning. How'd you sleep?" She asked, trying to get out of his grip, but he wouldn't even let her budge. She could feel him against her leg, but it didn't surprise her. He had just woken up, and he was a man.

He looked at her with lidded eyes and her breathing hitched. His gaze was so intense and she felt the flame in her stomach grow with each second that passed.

Oliver's eyes flickered down to her lips for just a moment before rising to meet her eyes again as he said, "Good." She knew he was trying to control himself in the same way she was trying to control herself.

When had Felicity ever been good at that?

She thought about it for just a moment before closing the distance between them and letting her mouth touch his. The touch sent sparks through her that she felt all the way to her toes and she knew he felt it too. His arms tightened around her waist as his hands tangled in her hair and they deepened the kiss. She couldn't get enough as their tongues tangled together with pure passion and love. They stayed there, reveling in each other, until they were breathless and panting.

When Felicity raised her head to look at him, she saw so many emotions there and she knew she looked the exact same. She finally allowed herself to really look at him and she loved what she saw. He was bearing himself to her in that moment and she couldn't help but smile and say, "I love you, Oliver Queen."

His face broke into an ever bigger grin that reached every part of her before he placed a soft, slow kiss on her mouth and said, "I love you, Felicity Smoak." The moment was so beautiful and she never wanted to leave.

But they had to. Slade was still out there and they needed to stop him.

They made their way to the foundry after they called Diggle and told him to meet them there. They knew he would want to know why they were together so early on a Sunday, but they didn't have time for that. Slade climbed his way to the top of their priority list with coming back, so explanations were going to have to wait.

Diggle showed up to the foundry ten minutes after they did and they told him everything that had happened with Slade the night before, leaving out the fact that they had been declaring their love for each other. That would've been a totally different conversation that they had no time for.

Felicity sat down at her computer and got to work, running facial recognition throughout the city as Oliver called Amanda Waller to see how Slade had gotten out.

Felicity heard Oliver talking to Amanda, but waited until the phone call had ended before turning to him for answers. Diggle was right next to her, waiting for Oliver to speak.

"Amanda said that when someone showed up to feed Slade a few months ago, he was gone. There was a dead A.R.G.U.S. agent right outside of his cell, so she thinks Slade might've found a way to trick him in getting close enough for Slade to get the set of keys he would need to escape." Oliver told them, obviously upset.

"Why wouldn't they have told us this when it happened?! She had to know he was going to come after us." Diggle asked.

Felicity knew Oliver wouldn't know the answer, and she had a feeling Digg meant it as a rhetorical question, so no one said anything. They all stood there, lost in thought as to why Amanda would let this happen.

"So, what now?" Felicity asked, breaking the silence.

She watched as Oliver moved his eyes towards her and offered her a determined smile before he said, "Now we find him."


	16. Chapter 16

Team Arrow spent the next week relentlessly searching for Slade. Oliver and Diggle went out at nights looking all around Starling City, while Felicity searched facial recognition at the foundry. Roy had even joined in to help, staying with Felicity just in case Slade decided to attack her while Oliver and Diggle were gone.

Oliver had been getting restless with no new lead. Felicity had started staying at his apartment because he wasn't comfortable with her going back to her apartment, knowing Slade had been there. They hadn't had a chance to talk more about their feelings for each other, and Oliver hated it. He wanted to be with her; to treat her the way she deserved to be treated. Instead, he was stuck keeping her at arm's length because of Slade. He knew once he convinced himself they could be together, that they were safe, Slade would show up again.

Slade always had terrible timing.

So, while he and Felicity hadn't been able to really be together the way they wanted to be, they had small moments here and there that reminded each other they wouldn't give up. Oliver would put his hand on her shoulder while she showed him what she found on her computer. Felicity would hug him before they went their separate ways at his apartment, lingering for just a beat longer than necessary.

It was these moments Oliver had come to cherish the most.

It had been a late night in the foundry when Oliver came in from patrolling the Glades, still searching for any sign of Slade. Felicity was sitting in front of her computers, Roy was next to her asleep, and Diggle had already gone home to Lyla.

Oliver approached Roy and patted him on the back, not gently, to wake him up. Roy woke up with a start and looked at Oliver, before looking around.

"When did you get here?" Roy asked Oliver, confused.

"Sometime while you were asleep, apparently." Oliver said, obviously irritated. He was supposed to be watching Felicity, not the inside of his eyelids.

"Oliver, it's okay. He just fell asleep, and we knew you were coming back. It's not a big deal." Felicity turned around to say. Oliver knew she would defend him, but she was in trouble and Roy needed to take his watch over her seriously.

"I don't care, Felicity. He's supposed to keep an eye on you when Diggle and I aren't here." Oliver replied, glaring at Roy.

"Look, I'm sorry. It won't happen again. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go catch up on some sleep." Roy said, already walking out of the foundry.

"Felicity, I-" Oliver started, but Felicity raised her hand, indicating for him she had something to say.

"Oliver, I know you want to keep me safe, but there's nothing we can do if Slade decides to strike while you're gone. Roy would buy us some time, but we both know he can't defeat Slade on his own. He's helping us, so stop being so ungrateful when he could be doing something else with his time." Felicity told him, breathing deeply.

Oliver looked at her and knew she was right. Roy had been doing them a favor the past week, and Oliver needed to stop being so hard on him. But when it came to Felicity's safety, it was hard for him to see straight.

Oliver stepped forward to pull Felicity toward him, but before he could, he heard the clicking of the foundry door and immediately became alert. He turned toward the stairs and pulled Felicity behind him. Oliver reached for the pen that was on the desk and pulled his arm back, ready to stab whoever came down the stairs. He wished he had more than a pen, but he had already put his arrow equipment down across the foundry.

He waited silently, the only sound coming from behind him as Felicity's breathing got heavier and heavier. He never heard anyone come down the stairs, so he went over to the staircase slowly, Felicity right behind him. He was ready for whoever was at the top of the stairs, but no one was there. He finally let go of the breath he was holding, and he felt Felicity's relief immediately. 

He turned around and put his arms around her, allowing himself to relax into their embrace.

"I'm sorry. I thought I heard the door close." Oliver whispered into her hair.

"It's okay. I know you've been on edge this past week. Better to be safe than sorry." Felicity muttered against his chest, and he could feel the heat from her breath through his shirt.

"Well, isn't that sweet." Oliver jerked his head up, immediately pushing Felicity behind him.

He looked up to see Slade standing on the other side of the foundry where the back door was and internally chastised himself. How had he not think to look at the other door?

Oliver felt Felicity behind him and knew he had to defeat Slade for her to get out of there alive. He didn't care if he died in the process as long as he took Slade down with him.

Oliver didn't hesitate as he turned to Felicity, kissed her softly and said, "Get out of here. Call Diggle. You need to run. I'll hold him off as long as I can."

Felicity was crying but she nodded. It broke his heart to see her so upset but he had to do this. Slade needed to be stopped before things got even worse.

Oliver turned around to see Slade hadn't even moved from his spot. He watched Slade as Slade watched Felicity leave, and they were finally alone.

Oliver walked slowly around the foundry, never letting his eyes leave the man he had once considered a brother. Oliver needed to get a weapon if he wanted any chance at all to defeat Slade. He could see his arrow sitting on the table in the middle of the foundry, right between him and Slade, but he knew Slade would reach it before he could.

They were going to have to do this the old fashioned way.

Slade had no weapons that Oliver could see so at least they would be on even ground. While Slade had been the one to teach him how to fight, he had picked up some new things over the years and he was hoping it was enough to throw Slade off and defeat him.

Oliver slowly made his way toward Slade and they were in the middle of the foundry, just feet apart. Oliver looked at Slade and tried one last time to reach out to him. To reach out to the Slade he knew before the Mirakuru and Shado's death.

"Slade, we can end this with no more blood being shed. Let me call A.R.G.U.S. and you can go back to purgatory. You were like a brother to me once. I don't want to kill you, but I will." Oliver said, hoping Slade would agree.

Slade laughed, and it was a laugh that held so much hate and bitterness that Oliver almost recoiled. This man wasn't Slade anymore; this wasn't the man he considered to be a brother all those years ago.

Oliver knew he was going to have to kill this man if he ever wanted to feel safe again. If he ever wanted Felicity to feel safe again.

Oliver charged at Slade at the same time Slade stopped laughing and they met in the middle of the foundry, colliding like two tornadoes in a storm.


	17. Chapter 17

As soon as Felicity walked out of the foundry, she wished she hadn't left. She had nothing with her. No phone to call Diggle, no car keys, nothing. She felt helpless and she hated it. She knew Oliver could beat Slade, but what if something terrible happened and Slade beat him? She would never forgive herself for leaving if he did, but she knew Oliver wouldn't have been able to fight if she had been there. He would've been too worried about her and her safety to focus on Slade.

Felicity thought for just a split second what she was going to do before a plan came to her. She ran to the nearest store, which was thankfully only a block away, and asked to use the phone. The employee behind the counter simply shrugged and handed her the cordless phone. Felicity had never been happier to be good at numbers as she was in that moment because she had Diggle's phone number memorized.

It rang twice before Diggle answered and Felicity sighed in relief.

"Hello?" She heard Diggle answer on the other end of the call. She was confused for just a moment why he sounded detached before she realized it was because he didn't know it was her.

"John, it's Felicity. I need you to have Lyla call Amanda Waller. Oliver and Slade are in the foundry and I'm worried. I have a plan, but I need you to do exactly as I say." Felicity told him, not even pausing to take a breath. Every second counted and she knew this would work.

Felicity told John about her plan as fast as possible while Lyla called Amanda and the plan was underway. Felicity waited at the small convenience store for Diggle and it was killing her to just sit there, not knowing what Oliver was going through or if he was even alive.

Twenty minutes later, an A.R.G.U.S. van pulled up outside the store and Felicity ran outside to meet Diggle. He was getting out just as she got to the van and she threw her arms around him, happy he came. She knew never to doubt Diggle, especially when Oliver was involved.

They got in the van and made their way to the foundry. It took less than a minute to get there and Felicity had lost all of her nerve in that short ride. What if her plan didn't work? What if Slade already killed Oliver and left? Felicity shook her head, trying to get rid of her doubts. She knew in her heart Oliver was strong enough to beat Slade. She needed to hold on to that.

When the van pulled up outside the foundry, everyone climbed out. There were 3 A.R.G.U.S. agents, Felicity, and Diggle. She didn't need the agents for the plan to work, but she didn't question their presence. Amanda liked to know what was going on even though she would never give others the same courtesy. Also, if the plan worked, they would be taking care of Slade.

Felicity used Diggle's phone to pull up the cameras inside the foundry and saw Oliver and Slade still fighting. Both men looked pretty banged up but they were still going strong. Felicity couldn't help the relief she felt at seeing Oliver still alive and kicking. Literally. She smiled at Diggle and nodded, letting him know the plan was ready.

Felicity remotely shut all of the lights off as Diggle went to the door of the foundry. She knew this would throw Oliver off, but he just had to hang on long enough for Diggle to get in there and help. Felicity watched as Diggle went into the foundry and all she could do was wait.

Diggle had told her to give him ten seconds before turning the lights back on so he could get in a good position for their plan to work. It had been the longest ten seconds of her life.

When she finally got to ten, she turned the lights back on and saw Oliver and Slade rolling around on the ground, wrestling with each other. At the moment, Oliver was pinned under Slade and Felicity began internally cheering for him.

She saw Diggle in the corner, getting his gun ready. While she could see him, she knew Oliver and Slade hadn't. He was hidden well and they were busy trying to kill each other.

Felicity smiled because she knew this was going to work.

She watched as Diggle crept out of the corner of the foundry slowly, raising his gun to Slade. Oliver being pinned under Slade probably made this easier because it gave Diggle the perfect shot to take him down. When he was about ten feet away from them, Diggle aimed and fired his gun and Felicity watched as the tranquilizer went into Slade's back. Oliver looked just as shocked as Slade when Slade realized what had happened. He turned around and saw Diggle, but before he could retaliate, he fell, unconscious, covering Oliver.

Diggle went over and helped Oliver move Slade to the side and gave Oliver a hand in getting up. The two men smiled at each other and Felicity couldn't wait outside any longer.

She went into the foundry behind the 3 A.R.G.U.S. agents, who handcuffed Slade and carried him to the van. They never said anything to anyone, but Felicity wasn't surprised. She was only relieved they were there to bring Slade to A.R.G.U.S. because that meant Oliver didn't have to bring him.

Felicity ran up to Oliver and threw herself in his arms. She was relieved they could finally be together without watching their backs or worrying about Slade.

She smiled up at him as she pulled away and she realized he wasn't smiling at her like she thought he would be.

"Oliver, what's wrong? You won! You beat Slade. It's over." She said to him, unsure why he seemed upset.

Oliver grabbed her by her hips and pushed out of her embrace without meeting her eyes. "I'm sorry, Felicity. I just… I can't do this."

He walked around her and out the foundry without another word.

What the hell had just happened?


	18. Chapter 18

Oliver left the foundry without knowing where he wanted to go. He needed to be alone.

Fighting Slade again had taken its toll on Oliver. While Slade was obviously a physical threat, the way he could get into Oliver's head always bothered him.

Oliver may have beat him physically, but Slade had gotten into his head again. While they were fighting after Felicity had left, Slade said something that made him question everything.

Without consciously deciding to, Oliver went to the chemical plant where he had defeated Slade just a few months ago. He needed to get his head straight and maybe being here would help him do that.

"You'll never be able to protect her. You'll never keep her out of harm's way. She will die because of you, kid."

Oliver thought back to Slade's words and felt his fingernails dig into his palms. He hated that he let Slade get to him like this, but he knew Slade was right. He knew Felicity would always be in danger because of him. As long as he was the Arrow, anyone he loved or cared about would be in danger.

Oliver stayed at the plant for hours, just sitting there and thinking. He thought about Felicity, Diggle, Thea, his mother, and even Tommy. All the people he had allowed to be in his life since he got back from the island and two of them were already dead. His mother died because of him; because of Slade. Tommy died because he couldn't stop Malcolm. Who would kill Felicity and Diggle because of him? Who would kill Thea?

Oliver's thoughts plagued him for hours and his head had begun hurting from thinking so hard.

Would he be able to give up these people in his life to keep them safe? Or would he try to protect them, even if it meant he could fail? Would they let him push them away?

Oliver heard footsteps approaching and he immediately went still. No one knew where he was and he had shut his phone off hours ago. As the footsteps got closer, he readied himself to attack whoever was approaching him.

"Oliver?" His breath caught in his throat as he heard Felicity's small voice calling for him. Was he hearing things? There was no way Felicity knew he was there. She couldn't track his phone when it was off.

He peeked around the corner to see if he had officially lost his mind, but he released the breath he had been holding when he saw Felicity feet away from where he was, looking upset and confused.

"Felicity. What are you doing here? How did you-"

"I have a tracker on your phone. It works even when it's off." Felicity said, cutting him off.

Oliver looked at her and realized her cheeks were red from crying and she looked exhausted. He approached her slowly and stopped when he was only a breath away from her.

"Felicity…" He started, but he wasn't sure what to say. He knows the way he left her in the foundry earlier had upset her.

"Listen, Oliver. If you don't want to be with me just tell me. I can handle it. You either want to be with me or you don't. It's simple." She told him, and when she finished, Oliver could see the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.

He took a deep breath and raised his hand to rest on her shoulder and saw her visibly relax the way she always did when he did that. Oliver knew it always comforted her and, if he were honest with himself, it comforted him too. He probably needed it at that moment as much as she did.

"It's not that, Felicity. I want to be with you, I do, but what if something happens to you because of me? Slade said-"

"I don't care what Slade said! Is that what this is about? He told you he would hurt me?" Felicity said, cutting him off and stepping even closer to him. He could feel the heat coming off of her as she put her hand on his arm and looked him in the eyes. "Nothing is going to happen to me, Oliver. You deserve to be happy. I deserve to be happy. We deserve to be happy. Together. You will always beat Slade. Don't let him get in your head. I believe in you."

Oliver smiled as he saw Felicity realize she had told him that the last time he felt he wouldn't defeat Slade. Last time it was about the physical aspect of beating him. This time it was about the emotional battle it took to beat Slade.

"Oliver. You need to believe in yourself. I can tell you I believe in you all day, but it won't change anything if you don't believe in yourself." Felicity squeezed his arm when she finished to show she would be there for him and Oliver got the message loud and clear.

Oliver put his hand on the side of Felicity's face, cupping her cheek, and he leaned down to kiss her. Just as he was about to cover her mouth with his, Felicity being typical Felicity said "As much as I'd love to make out with you right now, can we do this somewhere else? This place reminds me of Slade and I don't want to think about him while I'm kissing you."

Oliver smiled and placed a lingering kiss on her lips before taking her hand and leaving the chemical plant, and Slade, behind.


End file.
